Shingle assembly

Abstract

A barrier, such as a PV module, is secured to a base by a support to create a shingle assembly with a venting region defined between the barrier and base for temperature regulation. The first edge of one base may be interengageable with the second edge of an adjacent base to be capable of resisting first and second disengaging forces oriented perpendicular to the edges and along planes oriented parallel to and perpendicular to the base. A deflector may be used to help reduce wind uplift forces.

Description

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0001]This invention was made with government support under DOE SBIR contract DE-FG03 99 ER82862 awarded by the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in this invention.CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]This is related to the applicants following U.S. patent applications filed on the same date as this application: application Ser. No. 10 / 078,913 filed on 20 Feb. 2002 entitled Shingle System And Method, and application Ser. No. 10 / 078,916 filed on 20 Feb. 2002, entitled Shingle System.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Roofing shingles come in two primary types. A first type is typically flat and is designed so that there is a generous amount of overlap between adjacent shingles to create weather resistant joints to help ensure weather tightness. This first, edge-overlapping type may be flexible, such as the common composition or asphalt shingle, or it may be rigid, such as slate or some concrete shingles. A second ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]A second aspect of the invention is directed to a shingle system, for use on an inclined surface, comprising a plurality of shingle assemblies. At least some of the shingle assemblies include a base and a barrier, such as a PV module, secured to the base by a support to create the shingle assembly. The shingle assembly defines a venting region between the barrier and base for temperature regulation. A deflector is used along at least a portion of an edge of the array to help reduce wind uplift forces on the shingle assemblies.

[0008]Various aspects of the present invention provide significant advantages to the user. A primary advantage relates to temperature regulation, the temperature regulation being achieved in part by the use of a venting region between the barrier and the base. The provision of a venting region helps reduce the temperature of the PV module, when the barrier comprises a PV module, which helps to increase the efficiency of the PV module over the efficiency of a PV module mounted to a support surface without a venting region. This reduction in temperature under typical summertime operating conditions in central California, such as Sacramento, has been found to be about 20° C., representing about a 10 percent increase in PV efficiency. This increase in efficiency helps to reduce the cost per unit energy for the system. The use of a venting region also helps to reduce the temperature of the support surface, typically the roof of a building. This reduction in temperature can result in very significant reductions in the air-conditioned system load due to a substantial reduction in heat gain through the roof. The calculated reduction in an air conditioning system load due to heat gain through the roof for a typical day in August in central California has been calculated to be about 90 percent. Further thermal benefits may be achieved through the use of a radiant barrier between the barrier and the base or by making the base a thermally insulating base. Energy savings are also increased when the barrier is a PV module used for the production of energy.

Problems solved by technology

Primary among the factors are cost and aesthetics.

However, photovoltaic shingle systems have not been as widely accepted as hoped-for because 1) PV mounted integrally with the building roof as shingles operate at higher temperatures, causing a reduction in PV electrical output due to an inverse relationship between temperature and PV efficiency; 2) the same higher operating temperatures approach or exceed the upper limit of the warranted PV operating temperature (typically 80 degrees C.) and serve to shorten the useful life of the PV shingle; 3) some products call for electrical connections between shingles to be made under the roof deck, requiring holes to be drilled through the roof deck which increases the likelihood of water leaks; 4) there has been poor aesthetic match of PV shingles in conjunction with the non-PV areas of the roof; 5) some PV shingles have been limited to amorphous silicon PV technology, which suffer from a low operating efficiency; and 6) the value of the PV shingle has typically been limited to the electrical output of the PV plus the material value of displaced conventional shingles when the product displaces conventional shingles.

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